US6614383B1 - Beam width display method and system - Google Patents
Beam width display method and system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US6614383B1 US6614383B1 US10/116,671 US11667102A US6614383B1 US 6614383 B1 US6614383 B1 US 6614383B1 US 11667102 A US11667102 A US 11667102A US 6614383 B1 US6614383 B1 US 6614383B1
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- Prior art keywords
- radar
- weather
- displayed
- beam indicator
- indicator
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
- G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S13/95—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for meteorological use
- G01S13/953—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for meteorological use mounted on aircraft
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/02—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S13/00
- G01S7/04—Display arrangements
- G01S7/06—Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
- G01S7/22—Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A90/00—Technologies having an indirect contribution to adaptation to climate change
- Y02A90/10—Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
Definitions
- a weather radar system measures rainfall intensity within a scanned area. Intense rainfall may include severe turbulence which can be hazardous to aircraft flight.
- the weather radar system includes an antenna receiver/transmitter unit. The unit emits a concentrated beam of microwave energy. The returned echo indicates the intensity of detected targets. The detected intensity is displayed as color coded targets depicting echos on a display. The intensity of the rainfall at a given location is indicated by the color displayed. For example, black represents very light or no precipitation, green represents light precipitation, yellow represents moderate precipitation, red represents heavy precipitation and magenta represents very heavy precipitation.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a radar beam 100 transmitted from an airborne weather radar 102 . As shown, the width (w) of the beam 100 increases with distance (d) from the airborne radar 102 .
- a typical thunderstorm is only one mile in diameter.
- a storm detected within a beam that is 10 miles wide may only return an echo indicating one-tenth the intensity because of intensity averaging over the full beam width.
- the intensity is incorrectly represented as green instead of showing regions of red.
- the returned echo is misleading because it does not depict the real intensity of the weather ahead.
- a weather radar display system displays a beam indicator indicative of a radar beam.
- a beam dimension routine in the weather radar display system computes dimensions of the beam indicator.
- a display in the weather radar display system shows a weather target found by a radar signal of the radar beam.
- the beam indicator sweeps over the displayed weather target.
- the width of the beam indicator is relative to the width of the weather target providing an indication of the reliability of the displayed weather target.
- the displayed beam indicator is opaque and provides an indication that the radar signal is being transmitted and received.
- the beam dimension routine computes the dimensions of the beam indicator to be displayed dependent on the beam width of an airborne radar antenna which transmits and receives the radar signal.
- the angle of the beam indicator to be displayed decreases as the diameter of the antenna is increased.
- the beam indicator follows the center of an airborne radar sweep.
- the width of the beam indicator is dependent on distance from the source of the radar signal.
- the dimensions of the beam indicator remain constant as the scale of the display is modified.
- the beam indicator is wedge-shaped.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a radar beam transmitted from an airborne radar
- FIG. 2 is a graphical depiction of targets detected by an airborne weather radar including a beam width indicator indicative of a radar beam according to the principles of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps implemented in a beam dimension routine for computing the dimensions of the beam indicator indicative of a radar beam shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 2 is a graphical depiction of targets 200 - 1 , . . . 200 - 4 detected by an airborne weather radar including a beam width indicator 202 indicative of a radar beam according to the principles of the present invention.
- a plurality of range rings 204 displayed on the display 220 indicate distance from the airborne weather radar mounted on the aircraft. In the embodiment shown, four range rings represent 20, 40, 60 and 80 Nautical Miles (NM) from the airborne weather radar. However, the invention is not limited to the range intervals shown. The number of range rings displayed is dependent on the installed airborne weather radar system and the maximum range selected to be displayed.
- Bendix King's RT-1301 A/B can display range values 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 240 nautical miles and Collins' WXT-250A can display range values 10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 nautical miles.
- the detected targets 200 are displayed on the display screen 220 .
- Each target can include a plurality of regions dependent on detected intensity within the target.
- target 200 - 1 includes three intensity regions 208 - 1 , 208 - 2 and 208 - 3 .
- the displayed color of each region is dependent on the detected intensity.
- a graphical depiction of radar beam width is displayed as a wedge-shaped or pie-shaped beam width indicator 202 on the display 220 .
- the beam width indicator 202 sweeps over the displayed target 200 following the sweep of the radar antenna.
- the beam width indicator- 202 is opaque and is drawn in the normal sweep area, underneath the detected targets 200 - 1 , . . . 200 - 4 .
- the width of the beam indicator 202 increases with distance from the source of the radar signal. However, the size of the beam indicator remains constant as the scale of the display is modified.
- the radar beam width is dependent on the diameter and type (parabolic or phased array (or flat-plate) of the installed antenna.
- the beam width indicator 202 represents the actual width of the radar beam at various distance ranges.
- the beam width provided in radar sensor and antenna documentation for the installed antenna is used to determine the width of the beam indicator.
- the width of the installed antenna is stored in memory in the weather radar display system and the representative beam indicator to be displayed is selected dependent on the stored width.
- the width of the radar beam decreases as the diameter of the installed antenna increases. Representative beam widths based on antenna diameter are shown in Table 1 below.
- the beam indicator 202 on the display 220 represents the actual radar beam width at various distances from the radar sensor.
- the displayed relationship between the width of the beam indicator 202 and the target reinforces to a pilot that echoes depicted by targets 200 - 1 , . . . 200 - 4 at large distances are highly inaccurate and should not be relied on for safe navigation.
- the beam indicator 202 is displayed only when the airborne radar is operating. As a side benefit, the beam indicator 202 reminds the pilot that the radar sensor is operating. This information is useful during the busy after-landing segment of the flight where it is important to safely turn the radar OFF before approaching the line personnel or fuel facilities.
- the beam indicator 202 is displayed within the sweep pattern of the radar depiction, centered on the depicted location of the aircraft 206 increasing in width to the outer edge of the depicted distance range.
- the display of the beam indicator 202 can be turned on or off through the use of a selectable menu item on a user interface displayed on the display.
- FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps implemented in a beam dimension routine stored in memory of the weather radar display system for computing the dimensions of a beam indicator indicative of a radar beam shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
- the beam dimension routine checks if the radar is on.
- the beam display indicator is displayed, only if radar is operating. Thus, if radar is off no further processing is required by the beam dimension routine.
- the beam dimension routine reads the stored beam width for the installed antenna.
- the beam width is a fixed value based on the diameter of the antenna and is stored in memory in the display system. Processing continues with step 304 .
- the beam dimension routine reads display enable status stored in memory to determine if the display of the beam indicator is enabled.
- the state of the display enable status parameter can be selected through a selectable menu item on a user interface by the user of the display. If the display is enabled, processing continues with step 306 . If not, the beam indicator is not displayed and processing continues with step 300 .
- the beam dimension routine determines the location of the center of the antenna sweep.
- the beam indicator is displayed moving across the display with the center of the antenna sweep. Processing continues with step 308 .
- the beam dimension routine displays the beam indicator 202 , based on the stored beam width for the installed antenna, moving across the display with the antenna sweep.
- the dimensions of the beam indicator are computed once based on the stored diameter of the installed antenna for each distance range displayed.
- Beam width at a particular distance from the antenna is computed using the following algorithm:
- Width sin( deg )*distance/sin((180 ⁇ deg )/2)*6076
- deg Beam width in degrees
- distance distance (in nm) from aircraft at which the measurement occurs 6076 is a constant (feet per nm)
- Width (feet) Width (feet) Width (feet) Width (feet) Beam Width at 20 nm at 40 nm at 60 nm at 80 nm 10° 21,182 42,364 63,547 84,729 8° 16,954 33,907 50,860 67,814 5° 10,601 21,203 31,804 42,405 4° 8,482 16,964 25,492 33,928 3° 6,362 12,724 19,086 25,448
- the dimensions of the beam indicator 202 are determined from the calculated beam width.
- the end points of the polygon to be drawn on the display are determined based on the beam width. Once the end points are determined, the polygon is filled in using a standard polygon fill technique.
- the beam indicator is displayed on the display within the sweep of the radar beam as long as the display of the indicator beam is enabled and the radar is operating.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
Abstract
Description
| TABLE 1 | |||
| Antenna Diameter | Generic Beam Width | ||
| 10″ | 10° | ||
| 12″ | 8° | ||
| 18″ | 5° | ||
| 24″ | 4° | ||
| 28″ | 3.5° | ||
| 30″ | 3° | ||
| TABLE 2 | ||||
| Generic | Width (feet) | Width (feet) | Width (feet) | Width (feet) |
| Beam Width | at 20 nm | at 40 nm | at 60 nm | at 80 nm |
| 10° | 21,182 | 42,364 | 63,547 | 84,729 |
| 8° | 16,954 | 33,907 | 50,860 | 67,814 |
| 5° | 10,601 | 21,203 | 31,804 | 42,405 |
| 4° | 8,482 | 16,964 | 25,492 | 33,928 |
| 3° | 6,362 | 12,724 | 19,086 | 25,448 |
Claims (28)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US10/116,671 US6614383B1 (en) | 2001-04-03 | 2002-04-03 | Beam width display method and system |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US28108901P | 2001-04-03 | 2001-04-03 | |
| US10/116,671 US6614383B1 (en) | 2001-04-03 | 2002-04-03 | Beam width display method and system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US6614383B1 true US6614383B1 (en) | 2003-09-02 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US10/116,671 Expired - Fee Related US6614383B1 (en) | 2001-04-03 | 2002-04-03 | Beam width display method and system |
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| Country | Link |
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| US (1) | US6614383B1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20080184166A1 (en) * | 2005-06-02 | 2008-07-31 | L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. | Aircraft avionic system having a pilot user interface with context dependent input devices |
| EP3293553A1 (en) * | 2016-09-13 | 2018-03-14 | Honeywell International Inc. | Reliability index for weather information |
Citations (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5175551A (en) * | 1991-12-18 | 1992-12-29 | Unisys Corporation | Downdraft velocity estimator for a microburst precursor detection system |
| US5262782A (en) * | 1991-04-09 | 1993-11-16 | Unisys Corporation | Microburst precursor detector |
| US5392048A (en) * | 1993-07-12 | 1995-02-21 | Alliedsignal Inc. | Weather radar system including an automatic step scan mode |
| US5440483A (en) * | 1992-07-09 | 1995-08-08 | Rhea | Process and device for evaluating the precipitations over an area of terrain |
| US5920276A (en) * | 1996-03-11 | 1999-07-06 | Imaging Accessories, Inc. | Automatic horizontal and vertical scanning radar with terrain display |
| US6480142B1 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2002-11-12 | William L. Rubin | Method and apparatus for measuring velocity and turbulence of atmospheric flows |
| US20030001770A1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2003-01-02 | Honeywell International, Inc. | 3-D weather buffer display system |
| US20030016115A1 (en) * | 2001-07-17 | 2003-01-23 | Tsung-Mou Yu | Safety press-button switch |
| US20030016156A1 (en) * | 2001-07-17 | 2003-01-23 | Honeywell International, Inc. | Hazard and target alerting for weather radar |
-
2002
- 2002-04-03 US US10/116,671 patent/US6614383B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5262782A (en) * | 1991-04-09 | 1993-11-16 | Unisys Corporation | Microburst precursor detector |
| US5175551A (en) * | 1991-12-18 | 1992-12-29 | Unisys Corporation | Downdraft velocity estimator for a microburst precursor detection system |
| US5440483A (en) * | 1992-07-09 | 1995-08-08 | Rhea | Process and device for evaluating the precipitations over an area of terrain |
| US5392048A (en) * | 1993-07-12 | 1995-02-21 | Alliedsignal Inc. | Weather radar system including an automatic step scan mode |
| US5920276A (en) * | 1996-03-11 | 1999-07-06 | Imaging Accessories, Inc. | Automatic horizontal and vertical scanning radar with terrain display |
| US6480142B1 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2002-11-12 | William L. Rubin | Method and apparatus for measuring velocity and turbulence of atmospheric flows |
| US20030001770A1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2003-01-02 | Honeywell International, Inc. | 3-D weather buffer display system |
| US20030016115A1 (en) * | 2001-07-17 | 2003-01-23 | Tsung-Mou Yu | Safety press-button switch |
| US20030016156A1 (en) * | 2001-07-17 | 2003-01-23 | Honeywell International, Inc. | Hazard and target alerting for weather radar |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20080184166A1 (en) * | 2005-06-02 | 2008-07-31 | L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. | Aircraft avionic system having a pilot user interface with context dependent input devices |
| EP3293553A1 (en) * | 2016-09-13 | 2018-03-14 | Honeywell International Inc. | Reliability index for weather information |
| US10459078B2 (en) | 2016-09-13 | 2019-10-29 | Honeywell International Inc. | Reliability index for weather information |
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Owner name: AVIDYNE CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CANNADAY, THEODORE H. JR.;REEL/FRAME:013069/0979 Effective date: 20020607 |
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